By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — Servant Communities Emmaus (previously known as Emmaus Servant Community) a parish-based charismatic revival ministry, recently celebrated 32 years of its formation with a retreat and covenanting ceremony, followed by a dinner reception for members and friends of the community.
Emmaus was founded in Kuching in 1992 by the late Fr Leonardo Polinar from the Philippines. It is one of 300 plus ‘servant communities’ in the Philippines and abroad.
The retreat was held at the Fr Dato Lawrence Chua Centre, Blessed Sacrament Church, BDC on 20 January 2024. It was conducted by Fr Raul Dumadag, PACEM, Head Servant for Mindanao, Philippines, and Formation Shepherd of SC Philippines, and Fr Teodoro Mamalias, PACEM, Shepherd of SC International.
PACEM (Pastoral Assistance Community Education Mission) was founded by Fr Leonardo Polinar in 1988 and is housed in Bohol, Philippines. On 26 September 2018, the Congresso of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life gave its assent so that PACEM may now be erected as a society of apostolic life of diocesan right.
Covenanting Ceremony to renew pledge to Love and Serve
The covenanting ceremony in the Church on 21 January also saw a change of leadership at the helm of Emmaus. Head Servant Pauline Lim who was leading the community since its formation, has stepped down to make way for a Tri-Leadership team comprising Christina Eng, the new Head Servant and Mervyn Jong and Joyce Ting, who will succeed her as part of the succession plan for the next five to ten years.
A total of 115 Emmaus members comprising 71 from the English section and 44 from the Chinese section took their pledge before Fr Raul Dumadag. Majority of the members were renewing their pledge for another two years, while the rest were 12 aspirants taking their covenanting pledge for the first time.
Dinner to celebrate 32nd Anniversary
About 200 Emmaus members, family, and friends attended the 32nd Anniversary Dinner at a local restaurant. Among the invited guests were Fr Raul, Fr Teodoro, Marie Baluyot and Josephine Javier from YSL Philippines, Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung, local priests, and Emmaus Head Shepherd, Fr Leonard Yap, rector of Blessed Sacrament Church.
Besides the customary cake-cutting ceremony, Pauline Lim received a gift and bouquet of flowers as a token of appreciation for dedicating 32 years to lead Emmaus.
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